If the doors to your kitchen cabinets aren’t shutting properly, are barely hanging on their hinges, or even totally missing, it may not be drastic enough for you to consider remodelling the entire kitchen. But if, in addition to that, your plumbing gets clogged way too often, your wiring and lighting is all messed up, your faucets leak and leave rust stains everywhere, your counter tops are thoroughly defaced and you have run out of storage space, it is time to put remodelling of your kitchen on the front burner!
But wait a minute- just before you jump into it, there may be quite a few things you may not have considered and no one probably told you. It is important, however, that you understand fully the scope and implication of the project you’re about to embark on so you prepare accordingly.
- Life Without A Kitchen
First thing to consider and prepare to adjust to is life without a kitchen for the weeks it would take to complete the remodelling. The overwhelming majority of homes have just one kitchen. Unlike other rooms in the home, which have work-arounds if they are being remodelled, a kitchen remodel can come with some challenges.
Before beginning a kitchen remodel, you should consider- How would meals be cooked? How would dishes be washed? What happens to food? If your fridge would be swapped, what happens to food storage?
Preparing adequately by answering these questions would reduce or eliminate the potential for an unpleasant experience.
- Shelves Good, Drawers Better
Particularly in the kitchen, drawer storage cabinets are, generally speaking, much better as they offer maximum use of available space than shelves. With the exception of big, bulky, regular-shaped items, if the items to be stored are small-to-medium size and irregular in shape, drawers are the most practical. Also, since drawers can be pulled all the way out, there is less likelihood of anything getting lost or hidden in dark corners, like often happens with shelves.
- Choosing Countertops
In the kitchen, nearly everything happens on the counter-top. A countertop you find very visually appealing might not be the right choice for your kitchen. Aesthetics, in this regard, is only half as important as practicality.
There are well over a dozen different types of counter tops. Working together with a professional, make a choice considering qualities such as Material, Durability, Colour/Pattern, Finish and Price.
- Double-Bowl Sinks Are Practical
If you have a big kitchen, a double-bowl sink is almost a given. And, if you didn’t have it, for your remodelling, you should absolutely have it. But the truth is, even if you have a smaller kitchen, a double-bowl sink offers more practical uses and advantages then a single-bowl sink.
- Prepare To Overshoot Your Budget
This last point is not peculiar to kitchens and applies to almost all remodelling projects. Unexpected expenses have a way of rearing up their heads at very inopportune moments during projects like this. And while it is helpful to begin with a budget and strive to stick religiously to it, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared to want a change here or there even if it was what you thought you initially wanted, and ready to pay.
A remodelled kitchen does not only give increased value to your home, it provides an excellent experience for users. If it is something you are considering for your home, talk to us now as we have built an impressive track record of delivering exceptional remodelling projects in numerous homes for our clients.
